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Obama to form panel to explore presidential bid
POSTED: 1:43 p.m. EST, January 16, 2007
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama said Tuesday he is taking a first step toward running for president next year.
"I will be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee," the Illinois Democrat said, adding that he will announce his final decision February 10 from his hometown of Chicago.
He made the announcement in a video posted on his Web site -- www.barackobama.com.
"The decisions that have been made in Washington over the past six years and the problems that have been ignored have put our country in a precarious place," he said in the video.
In addition to citing "the tragic and costly war that should never have been waged," Obama mentioned health care, pensions, college tuition and "our continued dependence on oil" as issues that need work.
But he said it is the "smallness of our politics" that most bothers him.
"Today, our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, common-sense way. Politics has become so bitter and partisan and gummed up by money and influence that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions, and that's what we have to change."
Obama said his final decision will be made based on what he learns over the next several weeks as he travels the country "listening and learning about the challenges we face as a nation."
However, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said that the senator will not travel to the first four states on the Democrats' nomination calendar -- Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina -- before his announcement next month.
The Federal Election Commission confirmed that it received Obama's paperwork.
Forming an exploratory committee is an initial -- but not a required step -- in running for president or any federal office. Such committees allow potential candidates to begin quietly raising funds and "testing the waters" on whether they should run for office.
Funds raised in exploratory committees only need to be disclosed if potential candidates decide to run for office, at which point they must go back and disclose any "exploratory" money raised thus far.
If Obama runs, he will join an already crowded field of candidates who either have declared their intentions to seek the 2008 Democratic nomination or who are widely expected to run. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York is the perceived front-runner, but she has not officially declared her candidacy.
Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, the party's 2004 vice presidential nominee, declared his candidacy late last year, as did Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, a liberal critic of the war in Iraq, and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.
Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut also have said they will seek the nomination.
Other Democrats mentioned as possible candidates include the party's 2004 presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts; New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson; retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark; and the Rev. Al Sharpton.
According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll conducted on December 5-7, Obama trailed only Clinton when registered Democrats were asked who their top choice for the party's presidential nominee would be.
Clinton was the No. 1 pick for 37 percent of the Democrats polled, while Obama was the choice of 15 percent of those surveyed. Former Vice President Al Gore was the only other potential candidate who enjoyed double-digit numbers, with 14 percent.
Gore has said he does not plan to seek the 2008 nomination.
The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
POSTED: 1:43 p.m. EST, January 16, 2007
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama said Tuesday he is taking a first step toward running for president next year.
"I will be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee," the Illinois Democrat said, adding that he will announce his final decision February 10 from his hometown of Chicago.
He made the announcement in a video posted on his Web site -- www.barackobama.com.
"The decisions that have been made in Washington over the past six years and the problems that have been ignored have put our country in a precarious place," he said in the video.
In addition to citing "the tragic and costly war that should never have been waged," Obama mentioned health care, pensions, college tuition and "our continued dependence on oil" as issues that need work.
But he said it is the "smallness of our politics" that most bothers him.
"Today, our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, common-sense way. Politics has become so bitter and partisan and gummed up by money and influence that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions, and that's what we have to change."
Obama said his final decision will be made based on what he learns over the next several weeks as he travels the country "listening and learning about the challenges we face as a nation."
However, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said that the senator will not travel to the first four states on the Democrats' nomination calendar -- Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina -- before his announcement next month.
The Federal Election Commission confirmed that it received Obama's paperwork.
Forming an exploratory committee is an initial -- but not a required step -- in running for president or any federal office. Such committees allow potential candidates to begin quietly raising funds and "testing the waters" on whether they should run for office.
Funds raised in exploratory committees only need to be disclosed if potential candidates decide to run for office, at which point they must go back and disclose any "exploratory" money raised thus far.
If Obama runs, he will join an already crowded field of candidates who either have declared their intentions to seek the 2008 Democratic nomination or who are widely expected to run. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York is the perceived front-runner, but she has not officially declared her candidacy.
Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, the party's 2004 vice presidential nominee, declared his candidacy late last year, as did Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, a liberal critic of the war in Iraq, and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.
Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut also have said they will seek the nomination.
Other Democrats mentioned as possible candidates include the party's 2004 presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts; New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson; retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark; and the Rev. Al Sharpton.
According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll conducted on December 5-7, Obama trailed only Clinton when registered Democrats were asked who their top choice for the party's presidential nominee would be.
Clinton was the No. 1 pick for 37 percent of the Democrats polled, while Obama was the choice of 15 percent of those surveyed. Former Vice President Al Gore was the only other potential candidate who enjoyed double-digit numbers, with 14 percent.
Gore has said he does not plan to seek the 2008 nomination.
The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
and from his site: http://www.barackoba...cript/index.php
Quote
A Message from Barack
As many of you know, over the last few months I have been thinking hard about my plans for 2008. Running for the presidency is a profound decision - a decision no one should make on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone - and so before I committed myself and my family to this race, I wanted to be sure that this was right for us and, more importantly, right for the country.
I certainly didn't expect to find myself in this position a year ago. But as I've spoken to many of you in my travels across the states these past months; as I've read your emails and read your letters; I've been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics.
So I've spent some time thinking about how I could best advance the cause of change and progress that we so desperately need.
The decisions that have been made in Washington these past six years, and the problems that have been ignored, have put our country in a precarious place. Our economy is changing rapidly, and that means profound changes for working people. Many of you have shared with me your stories about skyrocketing health care bills, the pensions you've lost and your struggles to pay for college for your kids. Our continued dependence on oil has put our security and our very planet at risk. And we're still mired in a tragic and costly war that should have never been waged.
But challenging as they are, it's not the magnitude of our problems that concerns me the most. It's the smallness of our politics. America's faced big problems before. But today, our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, common sense way. Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions.
And that's what we have to change first.
We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans.
This won't happen by itself. A change in our politics can only come from you; from people across our country who believe there's a better way and are willing to work for it.
Years ago, as a community organizer in Chicago, I learned that meaningful change always begins at the grassroots, and that engaged citizens working together can accomplish extraordinary things.
So even in the midst of the enormous challenges we face today, I have great faith and hope about the future - because I believe in you.
And that's why I wanted to tell you first that I'll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee. For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation, the opportunities that lie before us, and the role that a presidential campaign might play in bringing our country together. And on February 10th, at the end of these decisions and in my home state of Illinois, I'll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.
In the meantime, I want to thank all of you for your time, your suggestions, your encouragement and your prayers. And I look forward to continuing our conversation in the weeks and months to come.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator Barack Obama
As many of you know, over the last few months I have been thinking hard about my plans for 2008. Running for the presidency is a profound decision - a decision no one should make on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone - and so before I committed myself and my family to this race, I wanted to be sure that this was right for us and, more importantly, right for the country.
I certainly didn't expect to find myself in this position a year ago. But as I've spoken to many of you in my travels across the states these past months; as I've read your emails and read your letters; I've been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics.
So I've spent some time thinking about how I could best advance the cause of change and progress that we so desperately need.
The decisions that have been made in Washington these past six years, and the problems that have been ignored, have put our country in a precarious place. Our economy is changing rapidly, and that means profound changes for working people. Many of you have shared with me your stories about skyrocketing health care bills, the pensions you've lost and your struggles to pay for college for your kids. Our continued dependence on oil has put our security and our very planet at risk. And we're still mired in a tragic and costly war that should have never been waged.
But challenging as they are, it's not the magnitude of our problems that concerns me the most. It's the smallness of our politics. America's faced big problems before. But today, our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, common sense way. Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions.
And that's what we have to change first.
We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans.
This won't happen by itself. A change in our politics can only come from you; from people across our country who believe there's a better way and are willing to work for it.
Years ago, as a community organizer in Chicago, I learned that meaningful change always begins at the grassroots, and that engaged citizens working together can accomplish extraordinary things.
So even in the midst of the enormous challenges we face today, I have great faith and hope about the future - because I believe in you.
And that's why I wanted to tell you first that I'll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee. For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation, the opportunities that lie before us, and the role that a presidential campaign might play in bringing our country together. And on February 10th, at the end of these decisions and in my home state of Illinois, I'll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.
In the meantime, I want to thank all of you for your time, your suggestions, your encouragement and your prayers. And I look forward to continuing our conversation in the weeks and months to come.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator Barack Obama
I will say this, I don't necessarily agree with his stance on the military, but his views on today's government are refreshing, this will be interesting to watch pan out. I believe our country definitely needs change in leadership and in thinking. I'm not sure he's the one to do it, but I sure hope we get an honest chance to find out!
, feel the need to allow generations of immoral , free cheese eating, help me now its your job to support me, tax slurpin, system abusing , slugs , and those who see fit to promote these actions. Those who go there whole life feeding off other peoples problems, making a career of it, indulging on the fact that there is always going to be poor, and needy, but exploiting them for earmarks and political gain. 
